Sarah’s head throbbed when she regained consciousness. Evidently, she was back on the ship, in her bed. The light had been dimmed, but Sarah could still see everything clearly. Rolling back the blanket, she noticed she wasn't wearing her gloves, spiking her anger right through the roof. Ulquonar had subjected her to that treatment, that invasion. She jumped out of bed, getting caught up in the blanket and crashing into the floor. She groaned, picking herself up and muttering muted curses. Then she stormed out of her quarters in search of Ulquonar, who she promptly found munching away at a very ordinary sandwich. Sarah breathed in deeply. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVMJuWz53k
“So would you mind telling me what the fuck that was back there?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OhHiEejLg
“Calm down. I saved you, right? I’m sorry you were sucked into that. That was an accident. I meant to confirm my theory here, and I have. I was right.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkjo7d2qFc
“‘Sorry,’ he says, like I care! And how did you prove anything?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNpWX7NB1U
“I performed a scan after I followed you. I had a scanner with me.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9zkbVC3J6
“Oh so you doodled around for a bit first while that vile presence had its way with me. Fantastic. Makes me trust you so much more.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAVKGZzu6U
“I think you would do well do sit down and take a bite. I’ve made one for you, too,” he said, pointing at another sandwich on a white plate on the opposite side of the table. Sarah looked at it, then stormed out of the room, only to return a second later. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9hgQNLg2R
“No, you don't get me to shut up so easily. I want answers.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y5eWKKWBn
“Then ask questions.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjFZ0qVgeB
“What happened in there with me?”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0tJIGR5bf
“I'm not sure. There are many different kinds of forces at play in that dimension. I suppose you were examined by a less aggressive and more curious one. I’ve checked you out and I'm reasonably sure you will be fine.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxtQggpEi4
“What do you mean, fine? Physically?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPV0QGZqSWn
Ulquonar nodded. “And mentally.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHwpWoY7c4
“Yeah I feel spiffing mentally. Splendid. Want another word?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8fMx0Lytf
“No, that suffices. See, I did not mean for that to happen and I apologize. Now I hope that---”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8bWT0VC2a
A frantic beeping sounded from the ship’s intercom and Sarah gasped. “Proximity alert!” she said and dashed to the cockpit, Ulquonar behind her. Sarah threw herself into the pilot’s seat and turned the ship around, increasing power to the engines. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RcUgVg5BJ
“Don't worry, I’ve got this,”said Ulquonar, taking control of the ship from the Co-pilot’s seat. “Who’s visiting us?” he asked. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7l51tQkQO
Sarah pulled up the data on the screen in front of her and read from it. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqUyEhQpto
“A Tletan patrol craft. Thank god it's not Imperial. How would I ever explain that to my mother?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoFyx4ocdE
“Have they detected us?” 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevMoGq3d6P
“It doesn't seem….yeah they have. They’re hailing us.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhAcPyNOEr
“Don't answer.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sornWZfMS
“Of course not. I’m not suicidal.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66w4oFE5Uk
Sarah put on a headset to listen to the Tletan hail. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3dljY1ftq
“Unidentified vessel, this is Tletan Kingdom Patrol Craft OX-7. You have entered a restricted zone. Shut down your engines and await to be boarded. You will be interrogated and escorted to a nearby Tletan Kingdom outpost. Failure to comply might result in your destruction.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBJFnsLcOt
Sarah rolled her eyes. If they got caught, they would find out they had landed on the planet and that would mean prison for life. Her status as governor wouldn't help her one bit. She glanced at Ulquonar numerous times as he steered the ship away from the planet. Sarah breathed in and out calmly, but she couldn't help but shift around in her seat. ‘Get us out of here already,’ she thought just as Ulquonar activated the FTL-Drive and they disappeared from the Tletan’s sensors - for a while. The Tletans would call for reinforcements and would pursue them, notifying the empire and turning back only when Ulquonar and Sarah crossed the Imperial border.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCQi6xGahz
“We have to lose them before we cross the border,” Sarah said.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflIDV05xsk
“Why?” Ulquonar asked. 729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EanYurStJ
“If they’re still pursuing us when we cross into Imperial space, they will abort their pursuit but inform Border Patrol, who then will do anything in their power to locate us.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9PfxlDPWC
“Alright. Find me a nearby star system with a few planets and preferably lots of asteroids, too.”729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyA21HzZJf
Sarah nodded and called up a list of nearby star systems, sorting them by the required criteria. Near the bottom of the list was the star system GC 138 which had everything they needed but was farther away than GC 142, which lacked an asteroid belt. Looking at the information himself, Ulquonar chose GC 138. If they could get there, the asteroid belt would save them. If they could not, they were in big trouble. Sarah stared at the FTL vortex for a long time before she buried her face in her hands and noticed she hadn’t worn her gloves this whole time. She twitched when she realized it but didn’t say a word. Instead, she left her seat and went to get the gloves. When Ulquonar asked where she was going, she replied she was just going to get something. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she cried in silence for a while. The thought of someone having intruded into her mind, possibly seeing her most deeply held secrets, horrified her and made her feel used. She had always been a very secluded and private person despite her outgoing personality. Outgoing, yes. Careless with private information, no. The journey to GC 138 would take more than two hours. More than enough time to rest and be alone. Sarah was not angry with Ulquonar, not really, but she didn’t know why. She could blame him. It was his fault. But for some reason, it did not feel right.729Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YgiElbEU6
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